KEY POINTS:
4 PORONUI STREET, MT EDEN.
Special little touches that aren't usually found in most houses abound in this renovated Colonial-style home. There are the handmade leadlight lampshades, the flue-less gas fire, the stylish built-in storage in the living room.
But there's one thing in particular the house, which is nearly 100 years old, comes with that very few other homes can claim to have. That's a meticulously researched history of the building and details of the many people who have owned it over the years.
A previous owner delved into the background of the house and put together a comprehensive file of documents, including old titles, in a folder. There's even a copy of a photo from 1913 that shows the Mt Eden area, including the house, which was built between 1910 and 1912 and designed by noted architect James Lloyd.
Current owner Lisa Pedersen says, "We were thrilled when we bought the house and this folder was given to us. It's really fascinating to look back over the history of the house and the area and amazing to think about all the people who have lived here."
Lisa and her husband David will be handing the file to whoever buys their house. But first they are considering updating it with information about the work they've carried out on the place.
The two-storey house has undergone a major transformation since the couple bought it four years ago. The biggest change has been the extension they added to the northfacing back of the building, creating an enormous open plan living/dining and kitchen area.
"The lounge was already at the back of the house but the kitchen and dining were at the front which is south facing and not very sunny," explains Lisa.
The extension has a sloping ceiling on one side - something the couple had to put in because of council height-to-boundary regulations. But it has become a feature of the room, complete with a fireplace and three skylights.
"I like it so much I think I would do it again in another house, even if I didn't have to," says Lisa.
Cedar bifold doors lead out to the deck and the private north-facing garden, and frame a superb view of Mt Eden. It was important to the couple that the renovations were sympathetic to the style and character of the house. In the kitchen, for example, they chose an old-fashioned faucet, brick-style tiles and had the stainless steel range hood covered with rimu to match the cupboard doors.
"People find it very hard to know where the old house ends and the new one begins, which is what we wanted," says David.
David and Lisa kept the original tongue and groove walls in the bathrooms but updated the fittings. They've decorated throughout and given the distinctive shingles that clad outside of the house a fresh coat of grey paint.
The house has been a great place to bring up daughters Ava and Sofia, and the family has enjoyed being a two-minute stroll away from Mt Eden village. But they've decided to sell up to move into another property they own, which they'd like to renovate.
"It's time for another family to become part of the history of this place," says David.
